Remengesau, who is constitutionally barred to seek a third term in this election year, said he will make an announcement after the primary in September.
He said he will only endorse a candidate who is “totally committed to the interest of the people.”
The presidential tandems are Vice President Elias Camsek Chin and Senate Floor Leader Alan Seid, Palau Ambassador to Taiwan Johnson Toribiong and Delegate Kerai Mariur, Sen. Joshua Koshiba and Pelilieu Gov. Jackson Ngiraingas.
The fourth candidate, Senate President Surangel Whipps Sr., has yet to choose a running mate.
Remengesau said all the presidential candidates are knowledgeable and experienced, but “it’s really the heart that matters.”
He said he may run for the Senate but “definitely not for vice president.”
“I want to be a friend of the next president,” he said. “But I want the next president to be his own man to implement his own ideas. I have also been approached my many people who want me to consider a Senate seat. In politics, never say never.”
Once his term ends in January, Remengesau said he will be a “silent but active citizen” and support his successor.
He hopes the next president will pursue “economic development balanced by the preservation of our environment and culture.”
Remengesau at the same time said he will sign bill to raise the minimum wage once the national legislature passes it.
“A wage hike can help the people cope with the rising cost of fuel and commodities,” he said.
A bill introduced by Whipps will increase the minimum wage from $2.50 to $3.50 an hour.
“It is also important to balance the interest of the business community with the need to raise the minimum wage,” the president said.
Remengesau, 52, became Palau’s youngest senator in 1984.
In 1992, he was elected vice president and served two terms under Kuniwo Nakamura.
In 2000, Remengesau won the presidential election, defeating then-Sen. Peter Sugiyama by a margin of 52 to 46 percent.
He was reelected in 2004, defeating businessman Polycarp Basilius by a margin of 66.5 to 33.5 percent.
